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Thane nodded, believing she absolutely would. With Connie perched nervously on his lap, he rubbed a hand over his face and accepted the magnitude of the information he'd been given. Anarchy had confessed to vehicular homicide. She showed no signs of remorse—which he completely understood—but in a court of law, it wouldn't look good. Even with the circumstances, he figured a jury of her peers would find her guilty.
No one spoke for a long time, letting him sift through details and process the data in his own time. Connie shifted restlessly, her butt wiggling against his cock, but he was too distracted to entertain thoughts of what he could do to it. Instead, he tugged her closer as his eyes moved from Archie's drawn face to Jasper's defensive glower.
“Two dead bodies,” he said finally, musing over the words as though they were a foreign language on his tongue. “Two dead bodies, a wounded man. I'm presuming there was a considerable amount of blood and gore, not to mention a sizeable dent in the truck.” His gaze pinned Atticus, who was looking far too calm and self-assured as he stared straight back at Thane unapologetically. “There’s been nothing in the media about two dead men in this area since I arrived a few months ago. She's not in jail,” he pointed at Archie, “and neither is Jasper. Who cleaned up the scene?”
“Clever boy,” Atticus rumbled without hesitation, and the words were like a pat on submissive Thane's head. Dominant Thane wasn't quite so enamored with the praise. “Who do you think?”
“I think you're much more than a Master in a BDSM club. Teams, payrolls, taking on assassins…what level clearance do you have?”
Atticus grinned. “I don't have a level. I own a security company that deals with all manner of gnarly individuals and impossible situations, which means I can control certain elements of clusterfucks like this. Just as a warning—and I'm not suggesting you'll go running to the cops about this—but what you've been told here doesn't leave the inner circle. The only reason you're allowed to know any of this is because of Constance.”
Bristling with indignation on his behalf, Connie sat up straight. “Att—”
“No, sugar, stay out of this for a sec.” Thane slid a hand up to her nape, squeezing firmly to ensure she obeyed. His expression felt stony as he regarded the man nearest to him. “I hope you think more of me than that, Atticus. Connie aside, I happen to like those two,” he said with a jerk of his chin at Jasper and Archie, “and I wouldn't put them in jeopardy. That goes for all of you.”
“That's a good answer. The right one.” Atticus itched his cheek through his thick beard. “Removing threats is part of the job description. If you went to the cops, I'd assume you were a threat. I'd be sorry for it, especially as there isn't a single trace of evidence pointing to any wrongdoing. There's no evidence linking Anarchy to that section of road, to Jasper's truck, to the men who died. There's nothing to find.”
“For God's sake, Atticus, stop being such an asshole! Thane knows what's at stake here. We all do, which is why I wanted to make sure Anarchy was okay with me telling him. He's not going to tell the cops, any more than you are. Or I am. Or fucking Loki. Now stop posturing and—” Connie trailed off into a squeak when Thane's fingers tightened, giving her a little shake.
“You don't have to keep defending me, sugar,” he said soothingly in her ear, nipping the lobe. He felt her thigh muscles go lax, was tempted to slip his hand into the apex and play with the wet pussy he was sure was waiting for him. “This is a touchy subject, and he's just guarding his territory. Now behave, I was hoping to have enough time to play with my favorite part of you before we left for Avalon. We won't if you don't stop arguing with him.”
A slow smile curved one side of her mouth, even as heat turned her a luscious shade of pink. “I can fill the rest of the details in for you later…”
Testing her resolve, he ran his hand down her spine, under the waistband of his borrowed boxers. Two fingers pushed between her cheeks as she squirmed, settling on her rosebud. “Unfortunately, fucking your ass takes time. I don't want to hurt you by stretching you open without a warm-up.”
He waited for her to freak out and bolt off his lap. Since he'd boldly gone where no man had gone before up on the ridge, watching her take his cock into her ass of her own volition, he'd kept himself from going there again. He'd wanted her to take the time to remember it, to relive it, and find pleasure in the memory of being claimed.
Connie stiffened, her shoulders curving back in silent protest. As he stroked her anus with a fingertip, she blew out a hard breath…and acquiesced. She submitted beautifully without a single sound, handing her body into his care. As a reward for her bravery, Thane left his fingertip precisely where it was, forging no further forward.
“Breathe, sugar. That's all you're getting for now.” It took him a minute to separate gnawing need from clear-headed focus. He reminded himself to think about murder and mayhem instead of pushing his sub face down on the glass coffee table and mounting her in front of their friends. “In the spirit of notcalling the cops, you're sure you eradicated everything, Atticus?
“The vehicles involved no longer exist. Dead men tell no tales, especially when they won’t be found in the next century or so. My team cleared the road, power washed it, and made sure there wasn’t a single trace of foul play left. I employ the best in their fields, Thane, and pay them exceptionally well to remain the best. When I send the cleaners in, they don't leave anything behind.”
Thane's eyes narrowed speculatively, but he had to admit the Master was almost arrogantly self-assured that his team could handle anything. He turned his attention to Anarchy. “How are you holding up after going through all that?”
“It's been hard,” she admitted, gripping Jasper's hand. “Without Jasper and Connie, I think I'd be contemplating suicide. I'm struggling with nightmares and flashbacks,” she admitted carefully, snagging Connie's attention. “Sometimes, the fucker gets up after I hit him. Sometimes, he still kills Jasper or I'm not fast enough to keep the knife from drawing blood. But I'm alive, which is more than what can be said about that asshole.”
Looking at the positive side was a good thing. If Archie saw only the darkness of that night, it would end up destroying her. He'd been in a similar position himself more than once after he’d ended someone’s existence. Thane might have been the executioner, not the victim, but he'd still been plagued by guilt and negativity, finding ways to divert the blame onto his own shoulders.
He'd learned things didn't work that way. It wasn't his responsibility to carry that sordid weight, because he hadn't done anything wrong. Hehadn't dabbled with terrorism, he hadn’t plotted to destroy cities and kill thousands with the sole intention of causing pain. Hehadn't hunted down citizens of his own fucking country and killed them in droves. Hewasn’t responsible for those without souls, morals, or consciences.
Thane lifted his hand and absently rubbed the scar on his shoulder. One of his best friends had almost killed him on the training field back in the day, so he knew what pain a misplaced bullet could bring—it was one of the reasons he strived for a clean kill.
“Thane?” A soft hand tapped his cheek, wrenching him out of disturbing thoughts. “Hey, you okay?”
He blinked, shook his head slightly. “Sorry, my mind wandered.”
“You're rubbing your shoulder, is it hurting?” Connie twisted on his lap, a concerned frown bringing her brows together as she nudged his hand away and massaged the area gently. “Do you need an ice pack, a heat pack?”
Sweet little sub, tending to his aches and pains. Thane lifted her hand to his lips. “Just memories catching up with me, sugar. I’ll be fine.” He flicked his gaze toward Atticus. “Is that everything I need to know?”
“There're a few more details we've left out that Connie can give you at a later date, once you've processed what you've learned. I understand we've laid a lot of information on you; I hope you comprehend the value of it, Thane. Anarchy did something unfeasible to—”
“Anarchy did something brave, selfless, and stupid,” Thane butted in, giving her a wry smile. “I might not know everything about the situation yet, or the people involved, but I don't think her actions were murderous, however she felt in that moment. One thing I know about submissives is that they are fierce creatures in the hands of the right Dom. Love and loyalty inspire a deep-seated need to protect and defend, like bears with their cubs. From what you've told me, you acted in defense of someone you love, Archie. There's no shame in it.”
“Yeah, the cops wouldn't say that.” Anarchy paled, obviously thinking of the repercussions her actions could bring, until Jasper bit her shoulder hard enough to make her bare her throat in submission. “Yes, Master Jasper. I know they won't,” she murmured in response to some unspoken reprimand from her Dom. “That doesn't stop me from being afraid.”
“It's taken care of, kitten. How many times do I have to tell you before you believe me? Atticus utilized his entire fucking workforce to protect you. He loves you as much as I do, much to my annoyance,” he said with a faux-angry glare at his friend. “You saved my life, Anarchy. There's nothing in heaven or hell that is going to pull you away from me. If there was even the slightest chance of that happening—which there is not—not one of us would allow it.”
